Device for filling and emptying tubular magazines, for example with piled caps and the like



July 6, 1954 E 1 JONSSQN 2,682,986

DEVICE FOR FILLING AND EMPTYING TUBULAR MAGAZINES, FOR EXAMPLE WITH PILED j CAPS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 185, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 b ddadkhaaJ ,z F A a il 0 1A W u o g l A ,dce

J M L. a d d @.2 9 a., 1. t/ mY/vfr July 6, 1954 E. J. JoNssoN DEVICE FOR FILLING AND EMPTYING TUBULAR `MAGAZINES, FOR EXAMPLE WITH FILED CAPS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18l 1948 lilla Il 4. l

I If: Arry Patented vJuly 6, 1954 UNITED STATI-:s

ATENT OFFICE Einar Josef Jonsson, Linkoping, Sweden Application February 1s, 194s, serial No. 9,307 In Sweden June 19, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires June 19, 1966 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a device suitable for lling tubular magazines for example with stacked container` caps and the like, the device also being suitable for emptying said tubular magazines when a magazine is placed in a cal)- ping machine.

The manufacture and handling of caps intended for closing bottles and other containers shouldbe as hygienic as possible. For this reason in the manufacture of caps to be stored and applied on a later occasion the caps have been inserted directly from the drawing tool into tubular magazines. These magazines have then been placed in the capping machine and from said magazines the caps have been fed to the capping tool. The present invention relates to la device for both these purposes, which device can be made as a simple construction and will give a good guarantee that the caps do not fall out from the magazine tube before the magazine is sealed after the lling or before it is placed in the capping machine after the opening. y

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. One embodiment, shown in Figures 1 to 5, is intended for lling the magazine. The other embodiment, shown in Figures 6 to 9, is intended for emptying the magazine.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, and showing a portion of a cap forming machine.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the lowerportion of the magazine and the filling mechanism.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the filling mechanism in a different position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper portion of the magazine illustrating certain electrical control contacts.

Figure 6 is a sectional view in elevation showing the magazine positioned in conjunction with an emptying device.

Figure 7 is a sectional view in elevation looking toward the right in Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 6, showing a modified form of the invention with certain parts diiferently positioned.

Figure 9 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6, showing a further modied form of the invention with certain parts differently positioned.

VIn the embodiment according to Figures 1 to 4 the reference letter a denotes a sleeve-like foot 2A f or base which is firmly fixed in the table of ay machine for the manufacture of caps. In this foot is the magazine tube b detachably fixed by means of a connection sleeve c. The magazine tube isinserted some distance in the ysleeve c, and said sleeve is pushed down some distance on the sleeve foot, as shown in Figures 2 to fi. In the wall of the connection sleeve c are mounted stop members for the caps, e. g. a rim of pawls d, the points of which may extend a small distance into the sleeve through openings d in the wall thereof. When the sleeve has assumed its position on the sleeve foot, the pawls are held out of the stopping position by means of releasing members see Figures 2 to 4. As soon as the sleeve c is removed from the sleeve foot a, the pawls move to the stopping position by the action of a spring d. A groove or channel f connects an opening e in the sleeve foot wall with the punching and drawing tool K in which the caps are manufactured. In this channel the caps are moved pneumatically from the tool K into the sleeve foot by means of an air current, coming from a pipe f. In the sleeve foot there is a plunger g which through a lever arm g and a crank arm g" (Fig. 1) receives its necessary up and down movement, the lower turning-point being located below the level of the opening e. A little above said level there are stop members, e. g. in the form of platesprings h which extend into the sleeve foot through openings h and are placed around the sleeve foot. The plunger g has a plate i on its upper side, said plate being fixed on push rods i.

The device operates in the following manner: Each cap manufactured by the tool K is blown by compressed air through the channel f into vthe sleeve foot a and is, raised by the plunger g,

past the springs h up into the tube b. The caps zc are very thin and pliable and have, as may readily be seen in Fig. 2, a rather low profile before the capping and consequently they are convenient for stacking or piling. The tube is gradually filled with caps and when the uppermost cap has reached the upper end, anfelectric Contact is closed as shown in Fig. 5. The contact device of Fig. 5 forms a part of a suitable electrical control circuit (not shown) which is conventionally or otherwise arranged in any convenient or desirable manner to prevent further lling of the magazine. necessary for this process is not shown or described as it does not form any part of the present invention.

After the contact-equipped cover F has been The complete device removed from the tube b an outer cap is xed thereon as a packing cover. Then the tube b is ready for detaching from the machine table but to prevent caps from falling out of the tube when the tube is being lifted up, the sleeve c together with the tube b sitting thereon is lifted up from the sleeve-foot a, and consequently the springl loaded pawls d lose their Contact with the memn bers lc and block the tube opening automatically. Then the tube b is tilted, and the sleeve c can now be removed, whereafter an outer cap is Xed also on the other end of the tube, and the iilled magazine package is ready for delivery. Text, trade-mark or the like is to be placed on the outer cap. The sleeve c is placed on the sleeve foot a again, the paWls d being brought out of the blocking position by the members lc. In the above described method of lifting away the tube a number of caps remain in the sleeve foot, viz. those lying under the pawls d.

Referring now to the magazine emptying arrangement shown in Figures G to 9, a sleeve foot c is provided which is adapted to receive a full magazine tube b, A plunger q is disposed within the sleeve foot a and the plunger q is moved up and down by means of a mechanically driven rod n (Fig. 7). It is not shown how the said rod is moved. For instance a crank and a crank arm may be used, like that one shown in Figure l. The plunger q is tubular and in the same there is provided a valve body q' which is firmly xed under the sleeve foot by means of a clip c and bolts o and lock nuts o", as shown in Figure 6, but in relation to which valve the plunger can be moved up and down. Through an opening q the interior s of the plunger communicates with a vacuum line t, Figures 8, 9. This line is not shown in Figs. 6, 7 in order to simplify them. The plunger is pron vided with suction openings s in its upper sur face.

Through and from the sleeve foot a a passage Z runs to the capping apparatus m and in this passage the caps are pneumatically moved from the sleeve foot to said capping apparatus m. The compressed air opening is indicated by n. Around the suction plunger q is a ring u serving the same purpose as the rim of the plate i in the former embodiment. It is operated by rods i. Finally, it may be mentioned that in this embodiment the sleeve c is provided with several small contact edges o on the inside for the caps.

The procedure in the use or this embodiment is clear from the following description.

The outer cap on a 'lled tube b is torn ofi and Jthe sleeve c used in this embodiment is placed on the tube, whereafter the tube is tilted. The pawls d engaging the sleeve prevent the caps from falling out during this operation. Then the sleeve c and the tube b are put down on the sleeve foot a which is secured in the frame of the capping machine. The spring-actuated pawls d are pressed out by the upper edge a" of the sleeve foot (Figures 6, 9) and the caps iall down against the contact edges o. The lowermost cap lying on the edges o is sucked on to the plunger (Figure 7). When the cap is to be inserted in the capping apparatus m, the plunger is drawn downward, the flange or" the cap :r being folded up by the edges o so that the cap can follow the plunger downwardly. The next cap will now lie on the edges o. As soon as the plunger has reached its lowermost position, Figure 9, the suction ceases as the channel s is shut off from the vacuum line t, and the latter or the interior s is placed in communication with atmosphere through the opening q at c. The cap is now blown into the apparatus m the compressed air where it remains with its flange resting on a shoulder until it is applied to a bottle.

When the emptying of the caps is interrupted in order to insert a new tube b with caps, e. g. with another text, the device must be free from caps, i. e. the caps must be pushed up in the tube again. They are then lifted with the ring a and rods i', Figure 9, so that they come above the pawls d whereafter the sleeve with the tube is removed.

The device described above may also be used for handling other articles adapted to be piled or stacked. Moreover, a plurality of such devices may be used in connection with capping machinery requiring the simultaneous feeding of a plurality of caps.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is:

l. Apparatus for handling caps for containn comprising, in combination, a tubular adapted to be iilled with caps, a tubular underlying and supporting said magazine, re movable adapter sleeve interconnecting 'th magazine and base whereby a continu passag is provided between the magazine and through which the caps are free to pass, a plurality of pawl members movabl,7 disposed on said adapter sleeve and each comprising a portion movable to obstruct said free passage ci said caps, a releasing member for said pms; members mounted on said base and engageable to move said pawl members out ci said obstructing position when said adapter sleeve is positioned on said base, and spring means also carried by said adapter sleeve and yieldingly urging said pawl members into said passage obstructing position, whereby said passage will be obstructed when said magazine is removed from said base along with said adapter sleeve.

2. Apparatus for handling caps for containers comprising, in combination, a tubular magazine lled with caps, said magazine having an open discharge end, a tubular base underlying and acting as a support for said magazine, a removable adapter sleeve so sized and so positioned as to aiord connection between the magazine and base whereby a continuous passage is provided between the magazine and base through which the caps are adapted to pass, said adapter sleeve having a series of spaced radial openings in its wall, a plurality of pawls having nose portions and pivotally mounted on the adapter sleeve with their nose portions in register with said openings, a releasing member for said pawls mounted upon said base, so that the pawls moved out of stopping position when sleeve is pushed into position on said base, and are moved to stopping position when said sleeve is being disengaged from said base, and a spring surrounding said pawls and normally urging said nose portions inwardly through the ope.- 'n whereby upon disconnection of the magazine and base said pawls engage the lowermost cap the magazine and prevent discharge of the cans through the open end of the magazine.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, in which said sleeve-like base is provided with a lateral opening for the discharge of caps to a capping apparatus, and wherein, opposite said lateral opening, a compressed air inlet for the pneumatic transport of said caps from said sleevelike base through said discharge opening is provided. Y

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, in which said adapter sleeve is provided with at least one contact supporting edge for said caps which prevent said caps from falling out of the magazine tube because of their own weight and wherein said sleeve-like base is provided with a suction plunger which is adapted to be pushed up into said adapter sleeve, for drawing caps, one after the other, past said contact edge.

5. A device as dened in claim 4, in which said suction plunger is formed with a channel which, in all positions of said plunger except the lowermost position, is connected to a vacuum line, but which, in said lowermost position, is shut off therefrom so that the cap is released.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which there are positioned, laterally of said plunger, members for pushing caps up into said adapter sleeve.

References Cited in the fue of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,233,469 Heath July 17, 1917 1,399,586 Simmons 1 Dec. 6, 1921 1,643,367 Bergmann et al. Sept .27, 1927 1,888,470 Risser Nov. 22, 1932 2,187,429 Newey Jan. 16. 1940 2,325,165 Goodwin July 27, 1943 2,417,938 Krueger Mar. 25, 1947 2,434,053 Resina Jan. `6, 1948 2,457,758 Vore Dec. 28, 1948 

